New England Prep Schools Call for 'Meaningful Action' After School Shooting in Florida

The leaders of eight elite prep schools across New England are calling on lawmakers to take meaningful action to make schools safer.

In a joint statement, the schools, which include St. Paul’s and Phillips Exeter, say they stand in solidarity with the families of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, in calling for legislative and regulatory actions to protect students.

St. Paul’s Rector Michael Hirschfeld says the schools were moved to speak out because of the activism of their students.

“And as an educator, I have to tell you, it’s just really exciting when your students are owning an issue like this and really digging into it. It’s inspiring and affirming.”

Hirschfeld says students at St. Paul’s are planning to participate in a nationwide walkout on April 20 to mark the 19th anniversary of the Columbine school shooting.

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After the latest mass shooting at a school in Florida, there's one idea most policy makers seem to agree on: If you see something, say something. But as NHPR's Jason Moon reports, school officials and parents in one New Hampshire town are finding that's a lot more complicated than it might seem.

Town officials in Epping held a school safety forum at the local high school last night. The meeting came just a day after a juvenile was arrested in relation to a threat made at the school.

The meeting drew a strong crowd of parents, teachers, and students. They heard from school administrators and local police, like Police Chief Michael Wallace, about the security precautions already in place.

“Every incident is different, but we like to feel that we have at least taken the steps necessary to ensure the safety of kids – that is first and foremost.”